Exams and assessment
Exceptional circumstances and extensions
Our approach to supporting you with exceptional circumstances and programme extensions.
The University realises that there may be circumstances that affect your ability to study and complete your assessments.
We have developed an approach to support you, in consultation with your Student Union Presidents.
Jump to a section to find out more:
Exceptional circumstances and extensions
To request and apply for an extension to an assessment, you will need to follow the Exceptional Circumstances process. Exceptional circumstances are unforeseen personal, medical or family problems that are outside of your control and affect your performance in assessments. In order to support you in your studies, the University operates an Exceptional Circumstances Policy and process. This process allows you to request extra time for your assessment in order to mitigate against any adverse circumstances you may be experiencing.
Some examples of circumstances under which you may claim are listed below. This is not an exhaustive list; please check Section 17: Exceptional Circumstances Policy 2024-25 (PDF 0.4 MB) for a full list.
- Unforeseen illness, which is sudden and severe in nature
- Bereavement due to the death of a close family member or friend
- Being a victim of crime
- Pregnancy
- Significant caring responsibilities, for example for a child, family member, or partner with a disability or health condition
- Family crisis impacting upon your work
- Legal proceedings, for example jury service or attendance as a witness, plaintiff or defendant
- Unforeseen changes to working patterns for part-time students
If you believe you are eligible for a claim, you can do this in e:Vision. Please go to the ‘How to claim’ section below.
How to claim
Use the drop-down below to learn more about claiming for exceptional circumstances for different time periods.
To apply for any of the following extensions, please log into e:Vision and visit the Exceptional Circumstances and Extensions section. This section will guide you through making a claim.
You choose to self-certify for an extension of up to 7 days. This can apply to more than one assignment if the deadlines fall within the same week. You can self-certify once a semester, and this can be used for physical and mental health. It is designed to help you recover from a short-term illness where it is not appropriate to seek medical advice.
Should you suffer from a bereavement, you can self-certify for a period of 7 days without having to provide any evidence. This does not impact on the once per semester self-certification for short-term illness.
If you need more than 7 days, or have already self-certified on one occasion in the current semester, you can apply through the exceptional circumstances process.
This process requires you to provide evidence along with your application from an independent, third-party expert, for example a GP, health professional, or police service. You must detail the impact the circumstances you are experiencing have had on your studies and why you need the further time to be able to complete your assessment. This is important, as it is this information that helps the University determine the severity of your circumstances and decide whether to approve your claim.
If you do not have evidence when you apply, you will be asked to confirm a date for when you can provide your evidence. If you do not provide it before the deadline, your claim will be declined.
With satisfactory evidence you will be granted a 3 week extension. A request for an extension beyond 3 weeks (either singular or cumulatively, including self-certified week) will not be granted, but if there are grounds for approval, the assessment will be deferred to the next assessment period. Extensions through self-certification or from your Learner Adjustment Plan will count towards this 3 week maximum. This means that if you have an extension of 3 weeks through your Learner Adjustment Plan, any claim upheld through the Exceptional Circumstances procedure will mean your assessment will be deferred to the next assessment period.
If you need more than three weeks to complete your assessment due to the severity of your circumstances, your assessment will be deferred to the next assessment period. This will be assessed on the evidence you provide with your claim and your explanation of the impact upon your ability to study and complete your assessment. Any claim for a deferral of an assessment must be supported by strong evidence that clearly shows serious exceptional circumstances.
Assessments will be deferred as follows:
| Original assessment period | Assessment deferred to: |
|---|---|
| Semester 1 | Semester 1 resit period |
| Semester 1 resit period | Semester 2 |
| Semester 2 | Semester 2 resit period |
| Semester 2 resit period | October conditional progression |
| October conditional progression | Semester 1 |
If you have an assessment deferred, particularly resits in Semester 2, you may not be able to progress to your next level of study as expected. You will be advised of this in the outcome of your claim.
Programme extensions
You can apply for an extension to your period of study if you have completed all teaching for your final year of studies but have been unable to complete the programme's final assessments in the normal timescale due to exceptional circumstances. Make sure you give the detail on your application form as to how the exceptional circumstances have impacted on your ability to study.
You will need to apply for a programme extension if you wish to request an extension of more than 3 weeks to your expected programme end date. Please select ‘Apply for a Deferral’ under the ‘Exceptional Circumstances and Extensions’ section in e:Vision.
Your Head of School or their nominated representative will be asked to complete a Programme Extension Action Plan for your remaining assessments. Please seeSection 18: Programme Extension Policy 2024-25 (PDF, 0.1 MB) for further information.
